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On March 15, 2022 the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM, also known as the EU Carbon Tariff) was preliminarily approved by the EU Council. It was planned to be formally implemented since January 1, 2023, with a three-year transition period. This means that EU member states support the implementation of carbon tariff policies. As the world’s first proposal to address climate change in the form of a carbon tariff, the carbon border adjustment mechanism will have a profound impact on global trade. Our study aims to analyze the implications and further development of CBAM. The carbon tax leads to the promotion of an accelerated and healthy carbon market, stimulating the growth of demand for green electricity, and rooting the authentication of low and zero carbon products. However, the practical implementation of the introduction of the tax still faces many obstacles. CBAM widens the gap between developed and developing countries in terms of GDP and wealth. This could exacerbate income and wealth disparities between rich and poor economies and further undermine the ability of some low-income countries to decarbonize their economies. To ensure a fair transition to a low-carbon economy and prevent excessive negative impacts on developing countries during the transition period, the IMF must play a key role in identifying and addressing the cross-border spillovers of climate policy, especially those that affect the balance of payments and growth trajectories of vulnerable countries. As an option to address this side impact, we briefly discussed the possibility of creating an Equitable Decarbonization Fund with CBAM funds to support decarbonization projects in low-income countries and the development of green technologies.

Nintendo Company Limited is a Japanese multinational corporation headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. Over the years, the company has evolved into an influential video game console and software development company, producing and selling hardware and software for its video game systems. The video game industry is dominated by Microsoft, SONY, and Nintendo. Companies have promoted the rapid development of the game market through cost control, technological innovation, and other methods, under the guidance of their own competitive strategies, and through fierce competition. The three companies have been battling for market supremacy for many years. This paper will analyze the strategy adopted by Nintendo, which is one of the leading brands in the consumer electronics sector, through SWOT analysis, and analyze the advantages, disadvantages, opportunities, and threats of Nintendo's strategy. In order to find out the shortcomings of the strategy adopted by Nintendo, and give the recommendation to assure success. Nintendo’s strength not only owns the most popular intellectual property of characters like Mario but is also extremely popular in the world. In terms of weakness, the company’s replenishment is not active and has many fake goods. What’s more, the Switch and other products also have some problems. For its opportunity, Nintendo has an economic, policy, and technological prospects. At the same time, there are some adverse factors in the external environment. However, in terms of threat, Nintendo now has a lot of competition in the market. Changing player preferences and demographic shifts also threaten its growth.

The electrocatalytic CO2 reduction process has gained enormous attention for both environmental protection and chemicals production. Thereinto, the design of new electrocatalysts with high activity and selectivity can draw inspiration from the abundant scientific literature. An annotated and verified corpus made from massive literature can assist the development of natural language processing (NLP) models, which can offer insight to help guide the understanding of these underlying mechanisms. To facilitate data mining in this direction, we present a benchmark corpus of 6,086 records manually extracted from 835 electrocatalytic publications, along with an extended corpus with 145,179 records in this article. In this corpus, nine types of knowledge such as material, regulation method, product, faradaic efficiency, cell setup, electrolyte, synthesis method, current density, and voltage are provided by either annotating or extracting. Machine learning algorithms can be applied to the corpus to help scientists find new and effective electrocatalysts. Furthermore, researchers familiar with NLP can use this corpus to design domain-specific named entity recognition (NER) models.

Cochlear ossification (CO) after meningitis can cause profound sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). Cochlear implantation (CI) is the ideal treatment strategy for CO. To explore the strategy for CI in patients with CO after meningitis. In this retrospective study, the medical records of patients diagnosed with profound SNHL due to CO after meningitis and who underwent CI in our department between September 2010 and September 2021 were collected and reviewed. Their imaging and surgical findings were analyzed. The data of 26 patients with unilateral CI were reviewed. All patients underwent preoperative temporal high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) and 22 patients magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The sensitivity of HRCT was 61.5% (10/26), whereas that of MRI was 81.8% (18/22). Combined HRCT and MRI achieved a detection rate of 92.3% (24/26). Twenty-two and four patients underwent complete and partial electrode implantations, respectively. Preoperative temporal bone HRCT and MRI are essential for determining whether a patient is suitable for CI and surgical planning. A false-negative diagnosis is possible when diagnosing CO, but combined HRCT and MRI can improve the positive rate of preoperative diagnosis of CO post meningitis. Early CI is recommended.

Oriented object detection in remote sensing images has drawn great attention since it can provide more accurate bounding boxes. We propose a one-stage anchor-free network based on searching four corner points of an object, which can yield an arbitrary quadrilateral to fit objects with different shapes and orientations. We detect the corners by combining two strategies, where one regresses to the relative corner positions with respect to their corresponding center and the other directly detects the absolute corner positions from the corner heatmaps. By defining a candidate corner region based on the regressed results, we check whether corner points from the corner heatmaps are included in the region. If so, the closest one relative to the regressed corner is selected as the final position; otherwise, the regressed corner position is utilized. Experiments were conducted on two aerial remote sensing datasets, and the results demonstrated that the proposed method achieves superior performance to both the anchor-based and anchor-free methods.

Let Q be the affine quiver of type A ˜ 2 n − 1 , 1 and A q ( Q ) be the quantum cluster algebra associated to the valued quiver ( Q , ( 2 , 2 , … , 2 ) ) . We prove some cluster multiplication formulas, and deduce that the cluster variables associated with vertices of Q satisfy a quantum analogue of the constant coefficient linear relations. We then construct two bar-invariant Z [ q ± 1 2 ] -bases B and S of A q ( Q ) consisting of positive elements, and prove that B is an atomic basis.

Introduction This study was designed to identify a group of bacteria in the human gut microbiota with specific effects on PD-1-based immunotherapy for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods The study was performed in patients with advanced NSCLC, who received PD-1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) treatment for 6 months after one or several prior therapies. The combination of blood immune-related factors of the participants and their 16S rRNA gene sequencing from fecal samples at baseline was used to investigate the diversity and composition of the gut microbiota. The differences in relative abundance of gut microbiota at the genus level were compared, and the relation to blood immune-related factors was assessed using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient analysis. Results The 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed a clear difference in the diversity and composition of the gut microbiota between groups with stable disease (SD) and progressive disease (PD). A comparison of differences in relative abundance at the genus level showed that the relative abundance of Escherichia-Shigella, Akkermansia and Olsenella in the SD group was significantly higher than that in the PD group. The SD group had significantly higher interleukin-12 (IL-12) and interferon γ (IFN-γ) levels than the PD group. Interestingly, the numbers of white blood cells and sorted cells in the SD group were higher than those in the PD group. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient analysis showed that Escherichia-Shigella was positively correlated with IL-12, IFN-γ and basophils. Akkermansia was positively correlated with monocytes. Conclusion The response to PD-1-based immunotherapy in patients with NSCLC is affected by the diversity and composition of the gut microbiota. Escherichia-Shigella and Akkermansia may have specific effects on PD-1 inhibitory immunotherapy for NSCLC.

Cochlear nerve deficiency (CND) is often combined with modiolar deficiency-type inner ear malformations, which cause variable cochlear implantation (CI) outcomes. We aimed to assess the postoperative development of auditory and speech perception in CND patients with modiolar deficiency-type malformations after 3 years of follow-up to determine the factors correlated with CI outcomes.Sixty-seven CND patients with modiolar deficiency-type malformations who underwent CI surgery were retrospectively reviewed. Modiolar deficiency-type malformations included common cavity (CC), cochlear hypoplasia (CH) (including CH-I and CH-II) and incomplete partition-I (IP-I). Categorical auditory performance (CAP) and the infant-toddler meaningful auditory integration scale (MAIS) were used to assess auditory ability. The speech intelligibility rating (SIR) and meaningful use of speech scale (MUSS) were used to assess the speech intelligibility of these CI patients. The CI outcomes were evaluated at 0, 12, 24 and 36 months after implant activation.All patients demonstrated improvements in auditory ability and speech intelligibility after CI. There were no significant differences in CI outcomes at any time point according to the malformation type. The number of nerve bundles within the internal auditory canal (IAC) showed significant differences at 12, 24 and 36 months after CI (p0.05). Patients with one nerve bundle had relatively poor CI outcomes.CND patients with modiolar deficiency-type malformations showed continuous improvement in auditory and speech abilities after CI. Compared with malformations, the number of nerve bundles should be given more attention when selecting the side for CI.

Background Invasive candidiasis is a common infectious complication in geriatric critical care patients, which is thought to be related to malnutrition. The geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) score is an integrative and convenient tool to dynamically and comprehensively assess a patient’s current nutritional status. Thus, this study aims to assess the association between GNRI scores and invasive candidiasis in geriatric critical care patients. Methods A total of 5390 patients from the MIMIC-IV database were included in the training cohort to develop disease prediction models by logistic regression, Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM), eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM), and Random Forest (Rf) model. Developed models were validated in the test cohort consisting of 2766 patients from the MIMIC-III database. The area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) is used to represent the predictive performance of the different models. Results A decreased GNRI was significantly associated with invasive candidiasis in geriatric critical care patients (P P = 0.4562; 0.6874 versus 0.683; P = 0.9178) in test cohort. The AUCs for the XGBoost model and LightGBM model were significantly lower than that of the logistic regression model (0.511 versus 0.683; P P

Notch signaling is required to repress the formation of vertebrate cone photoreceptors and to maintain the proliferative potential of multipotent retinal progenitor cells. However, the mechanism by which Notch signaling controls these processes is unknown. Recently, restricted retinal progenitor cells with limited proliferation capacity and that preferentially generate cone photoreceptors have been identified. Thus, there are several potential steps during cone genesis that Notch signaling could act. Here we use cell type specific cis-regulatory elements to localize the primary role of Notch signaling in cone genesis to the formation of restricted retinal progenitor cells from multipotent retinal progenitor cells. Localized inhibition of Notch signaling in restricted progenitor cells does not alter the number of cones derived from these cells. Cell cycle promotion is not a primary effect of Notch signaling but an indirect effect on progenitor cell state transitions that leads to depletion of the multipotent progenitor cell population. Taken together, this suggests that the role of Notch signaling in cone photoreceptor formation and proliferation are both mediated by a localized function of Notch in multipotent retinal progenitor cells to repress the formation of restricted progenitor cells.

Increasing evidence has suggested the mitigatory efficacy of prebiotic inulin on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), nevertheless, its action mechanisms remain elusive. Herein, inulin consumption effectively ameliorated high-sucrose diet-induced hepatic steatosis and inflammation, and rehabilitated liver lipogenesis regulators, including carbohydrate response element-binding protein, stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha. Furthermore, inulin supplementation restored the intestinal barrier integrity and function by up-regulating expressions of tight junction proteins (zonula occludens-1, claudin-1 and occludin). High-throughput sequencing demonstrated that inulin administration regulated the gut microbiota composition, wherein abundance of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producers, including Bifidobacterium, Phascolarctobacterium and Blautia, was significantly enhanced in the inulin-treated rats, conversely, opportunistic pathogens, such as Acinetobacter and Corynebacterium_1, were suppressed. SCFA quantitative analysis showed that dietary inulin suppressed faecal acetate levels, but improved propionate and butyrate concentrations in rats with NAFLD. Functional prediction showed that tryptophan metabolism was one of the key metabolic pathways affected by gut microbiota changes. A targeted metabolomics profiling of tryptophan metabolism demonstrated that inulin intervention up-regulated faecal contents of indole-3-acetic acid and kynurenic acid, whereas down-regulated levels of kynurenine and 5-hydoxyindoleacetic acid in NAFLD rats. Therefore, this study demonstrated that inulin intake alleviated hepatic steatosis likely by regulating the gut microbiota composition and function and restoring the intestinal barrier integrity, which may provide a novel notion for the prevention and treatment of NAFLD in future.

Liver-stage Plasmodium in humans is an early stage of malarial infection. Decoquinate (DQ) has a potent multistage antimalarial activity. However, it is practically water insoluble. In this study, the hot-melt extrusion (HME) approach was employed to prepare solid dispersions of DQ to improve oral bioavailability. The DQ dispersions were homogeneous in an aqueous suspension that contained most DQ (>90%) in the aqueous phase. Soluplus, a solubilizer, was found compatible with DQ in forming nanoparticle formulations during the HME process. Another excipient HPMC AS-126 was also proven to be suitable for making DQ nanoparticles through HME. Particle size and antimalarial activity of HME DQ suspensions remained almost unchanged after storage at 4°C for over a year. HME DQ was highly effective at inhibiting Plasmodium infection in vitro at both the liver stage and blood stage. HME DQ at 3 mg/kg by oral administration effectively prevented Plasmodium infection in mice inoculated with Plasmodium berghei sporozoites. Orally administered HME DQ at 2,000 mg/kg to mice showed no obvious adverse effects. HME DQ at 20 mg/kg orally administered to rats displayed characteristic distributions of DQ in the blood with most DQ in the blood cells, revealing the permeability of HME DQ into the cells in relation to its antimalarial activity. The DQ dispersions may be further developed as an oral formulation targeting Plasmodium infection at the liver stage.

PurposeThis paper aims to establish a model to evaluate the benefits of building information modeling (BIM) from the owners' perspective. The model analyzes the correlation between five secondary benefit indicators and their subsystems: product, financial, organizational, management and strategic. The final key factors of BIM benefits provide a decision-making basis for owners to raise the efficiency of BIM application.Design/methodology/approachFirstly, the authors combed 31 BIM-related literature and interviewed experts to identify 15 preliminary benefit indicators. The authors established a BIM benefit evaluation system based on relevant concepts, including two primary indicators, five secondary indicators and 15 tertiary indicators. Secondly, the authors analyzed the indicators by the extension theory of matter element analysis and a questionnaire survey of expert opinion. Finally, the new method was applied to a case study of a large shopping center in east China for empirical verification.FindingsA BIM benefit evaluation model, including a three-tiered hierarchy of primary, secondary and tertiary indicators, was constructed through literature review and expert opinions. The model determined the critical factors of BIM benefits, enhanced understanding of owner benefits and improved BIM application under the owners' leadership.Originality/valueAt present, most studies focus on specific project stages or benefit indicators. This study developed an integrated BIM benefit evaluation system that targets owners. The findings could foster the development of China's construction industry, promote owner-led BIM application and advocate adopting the benefit evaluation method.

Various functional components in tea have been well developed, but less research has been explored on glycoproteins in tea. In this paper, three types of glycoprotein fractions, namely tea selenium-binding glycoprotein1-1 (TSBGP1-1), TSBGP2-1, and TSBGP3-1, respectively, were extracted and purified from selenium-enriched coarse green tea. Chemical analysis revealed that three fractions were glycoproteins, but their selenium content, molecular weight, and monosaccharide composition were significantly different. Fourier transforms infrared (FT-IR) analysis indicated that three fractions contained characteristic absorption peaks of glycoproteins but differed in secondary structural composition. Thermogravimetric (TG) analysis showed that the thermal stability of the three fractions was dramatically distinct. The in vitro hypoglycemic activity showed that TSBGPs significantly activated the insulin receptor substrate 2 (IRS2)/protein kinase B (Akt) pathway in LO2 cells, then enhanced glucose metabolism and inhibited gluconeogenesis, and finally ameliorated insulin resistance (IR) and glucose metabolism disorders. Furthermore, Pearson correlation analysis reveals that the hypoglycemic activity was significantly correlated with Se, protein, monosaccharide composition (especially glucose), molecular weight, and secondary structure. Our results show that Se-enriched tea glycoprotein is a desirable candidate for developing anti-diabetic food, and TSBGP-2 and TSBGP-3 had a better regulation effect. Our results can provide a research reference for the extraction, physicochemical property, and function of selenium-enriched plant glycoproteins.

Background and AimsHepatic ischemia–reperfusion injury (IRI) is a common phenomenon that occurs after liver transplantation and liver tumor surgery. It can cause liver dysfunction and recovery failure after liver surgery, even leading to acute liver failure. Our aim is to investigate the protective effect and related potential mechanism of [D-Ala2, D-Leu5] enkephalin (DADLE) treatment on hepatic IRI in cirrhotic livers of rats.MethodsThe models of liver cirrhosis and hepatic IRI were established with male Sprague–Dawley rats. DADLE at a dose series of 0.5, 1, or 5 mg·kg−1 was injected intravenously to rats 10 min prior hepatic ischemia, followed by a 6- h reperfusion. The serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), histological changes, and liver cell apoptosis were used to assess liver IRI. The optimal dose of DADLE was assessed by using the Suzuki score and ALT and AST levels. We repeated the hepatic IRI procedure on the optimal dose of the DADLE group and the delta opioid receptor (DOR) antagonist natrindole hydrochloride (NTD) injection group. Serum ALT and AST levels, histological staining, hepatic apoptosis, and serum levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 1 β (IL-1β) were measured. The expression of protein kinase B (Akt) and its downstream proteins were evaluated by using quantitative real-time polymerase chain action (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting.ResultsCompared with the control group, DADLE treatment at a dose of 5 mg·kg−1 reduced the Suzuki score (mean: 5.8, range: 5.0–6.6 vs. mean: 8.0, range: 7.0–8.9), the ALT level (134.3 ± 44.7 vs. 247.8 ± 104.6), and the AST (297.1 ± 112.7 vs. 660.8 ± 104.3) level. DOR antagonist NTD aggravated hepatic IRI. Compared with the control group, DADLE treatment decreased the number of apoptosis cells and microphages and neutrophils, increased the expression of Akt and its mRNA to much higher levels, and upregulated the mRNA and protein expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-2-associated death promoter (BAD).ConclusionDADLE treatment at a dose of 5 mg·kg−1 injected intravenously 10 min prior hepatic ischemia could contain rats’ hepatic IRI by activating DOR in cirrhotic livers. The effects of DADLE could be offset by NTD. The potential molecular mechanism seems to be involved in the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway.

The morbidity of NASH has increased, with limited effective treatment options. IL-17 plays a protective role in the gut mucosa in high-fat-diet (HFD)-related metabolic disorders, and HFD-related microbiota dysbiosis is responsible for a decreased number of T helper 17 (T H 17) cells in the lamina propria.

pyWitness is a python toolkit for recognition memory experiments, with a focus on eyewitness identification (ID) data analysis and model fitting. The current practice is for researchers to use different statistical packages to analyze a single dataset. pyWitness streamlines the process of the data analysis. In addition to conducting key data analyses (e.g., receiver operating characteristic analysis, confidence accuracy characteristic analysis), statistical comparisons, signal-detection- based model fits, simulated data generation, and power

Novikov algebras were introduced in connection with the Poisson brackets of hydrodynamic type and Hamiltonian operators in the formal variational calculus. Fermionic Novikov algebras correspond to a certain Hamiltonian superoperator in a supervariable. In this paper, we show that fermionic Novikov algebras equipped with invariant non-degenerate symmetric bilinear forms are Novikov algebras.

Fuel conversion and clean energy reaction systems involve a variety of catalytic and non-catalytic gas-solid thermochemical reactions. A good understanding of the correct reaction mechanism and kinetics, as well as the profiles of reaction products, is of great significance to the development, design, and operation of such reaction systems. The micro fluidized bed reaction analysis provides an efficient and reliable method to acquire this essential information with low capital and operating costs, low energy consumption and enhanced safety. This paper provides an overview of the system and its characteristics for the micro fluidized bed reaction analyzer that has been well proven to be a reliable new approach as well as an instrument for characterizing various gas-solid thermochemical reactions.

Differentially charged microplastics (MPs) engendered by plastic aging (e.g., plastic film) widely existed in the agricultural ecosystem, yet minimal was known about the toxic effects of MPs on plants and their absorption and accumulation characteristics. Root absorption largely determined the migration and accumulation risks of MPs in the soil-crop food chain. Here, five types of MPs exposure experiments of leaf lettuce were implemented to simulate root absorption by hydroponics. MPs exposure caused different degrees of growth inhibition, root lignification, root cell apoptosis, and oxidative stress responses; accelerated chlorophyll decomposition and hampered normal electron transfer within the PSII photosystem. Moreover, the uptake of essential elements by roots was inhibited to varying degrees due to the pore blockage in the cell wall and the hetero-aggregation of opposite charges after MPs exposure. MPs exposure observably up-regulated the organic metabolic pathways in roots, thus affecting MPs mobility and absorption through the electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions between the root exudations and MPs. Importantly, MPs penetrated the root extracellular cortex into the stele and were transported to the shoots by transpiration through xylem vessels based on confocal laser scanning microscopy and scanning electron microscopy images. Quantitative analysis of MPs indicated that their toxic effects on plants were determined to a greater extent by the types of surface functional groups than just their accumulation contents, that is, MPs were confirmed edible risks through crop food chain transfer, but bioaccumulation varied by surface functional groups.

Hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is a common phenomenon that occurs after liver transplantation and liver tumor surgery. It can cause liver dysfunction and recovery failure after liver surgery, even leading to acute liver failure. Our aim is to investigate the protective effect and related potential mechanism of [D-AlaThe models of liver cirrhosis and hepatic IRI were established with male Sprague-Dawley rats. DADLE at a dose series of 0.5, 1, or 5 mg·kgCompared with the control group, DADLE treatment at a dose of 5 mg·kgDADLE treatment at a dose of 5 mg·kg

Castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) continues to be a major clinical problem and its underlying mechanisms are still not fully understood. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activation is an important event that regulates mitogenic signaling. EGFR signaling plays an important role in the transition from androgen dependence to castration-resistant state in prostate cancer (PCa). Kinesin family member 15 (KIF15) has been suggested to be overexpressed in multiple malignancies. Here, we demonstrate that KIF15 expression is elevated in CRPC. We show that KIF15 contributes to CRPC progression by enhancing the EGFR signaling pathway, which includes complex network intermediates such as mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT pathways. In CRPC tumors, increased expression of KIF15 is positively correlated with EGFR protein level. KIF15 binds to EGFR, and prevents EGFR proteins from degradation in a Cdc42-dependent manner. These findings highlight the key role of KIF15 in the development of CRPC and rationalize KIF15 as a potential therapeutic target.

ObjectiveThis study was aimed at examining the effects of an adaptive non-linear frequency compression algorithm implemented in hearing aids (i.e., SoundRecover2, or SR2) at different parameter settings and auditory acclimatization on speech and sound-quality perception in native Mandarin-speaking adult listeners with sensorineural hearing loss.DesignData consisted of participants’ unaided and aided hearing thresholds, Mandarin consonant and vowel recognition in quiet, and sentence recognition in noise, as well as sound-quality ratings through five sessions in a 12-week period with three SR2 settings (i.e., SR2 off, SR2 default, and SR2 strong).Study SampleTwenty-nine native Mandarin-speaking adults aged 37–76 years old with symmetric sloping moderate-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss were recruited. They were all fitted bilaterally with Phonak Naida V90-SP BTE hearing aids with hard ear-molds.ResultsThe participants demonstrated a significant improvement of aided hearing in detecting high frequency sounds at 8 kHz. For consonant recognition and overall sound-quality rating, the participants performed significantly better with the SR2 default setting than the other two settings. No significant differences were found in vowel and sentence recognition among the three SR2 settings. Test session was a significant factor that contributed to the participants’ performance in all speech and sound-quality perception tests. Specifically, the participants benefited from a longer duration of hearing aid use.ConclusionFindings from this study suggested possible perceptual benefit from the adaptive non-linear frequency compression algorithm for native Mandarin-speaking adults with moderate-to-profound hearing loss. Periods of acclimatization should be taken for better performance in novel technologies in hearing aids.

We prove Hu-Zhang's conjecture stated in [5] that the characteristic polynomial of a finite dimensional irreducible representation of sl ( 2 , F ) can be explicitly expressed as a product of some irreducible polynomials.

Background: Few studies on speech performance of children after cochlear implantation (CI) described isolated large vestibular aqueduct syndrome (LVAS). Objective: To investigate speech developmental trajectories of infants with LVAS after CI, and to compare with those who have structurally normal inner ears. Materials and methods: 1112 infants with congenital severe to profound hearing loss participated in this study. 150 infants in group A were diagnosed with LVAS, 962 infants in group B with structurally normal inner ear. The speech performance was assessed via the Meaningful Use of Speech Scale (MUSS). The evaluations were performed pre-implant, 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 60 months after CI. Results: The mean scores of the MUSS improved over a 5-year period after implantation in both groups A and B. The LVAS group presented similar speech developmental trajectory to the non-LVAS group at each assessment interval, except pre-operation. There were significant differences in mean scores between vocalizing behavior and oral communication skills, clarification skills of infants in both two groups. Conclusions and significance: Speech performance of infants with LVAS developed rapidly after CI and was similar to infants with structurally normal inner ear. For infants with isolated LVAS, CI had a significant effect and should be recommended as a therapeutic option.

The objective of the present paper is to prove cluster multiplication theorem in the quantum cluster algebra of type A 2 ( 2 ) . As corollaries, we obtain bar-invariant Z [ q ± 1 2 ] -bases established in [6] , and naturally deduce the positivity of the elements in these bases. One bar-invariant basis as the triangular basis of this quantum cluster algebra is also explicitly described.

Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the development of speech skills in young children with Mondini dysplasia and age-matched deaf children with radiologically normal inner ears over a period of 5 years after cochlear implantation (CI). Methods In total, 700 congenitally severely to profoundly deaf children (281 girls and 419 boys) participated in this study. All of the participants had undergone unilateral CI surgery before 36 months of age. The participants were categorized into two groups based on the absence or presence of Mondini dysplasia in the implanted ear, as assessed via high-resolution, thin-slice computerized tomography or magnetic resonance imaging: group A comprised 592 children with radiologically normal inner ears and group B comprised 108 children with Mondini dysplasia. The Meaningful Use of Speech Scale (MUSS) and Speech Intelligibility Rating (SIR) were used to evaluate the speech performance of all young children at various time points: pre-surgery and at 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, and 60 months after switch-on programming. Results The mean scores of SIR and MUSS in children from both group A and group B showed significant improvements over time. No significant differences were found in the mean scores of SIR between the two groups at any time interval during the 5-year follow-up. The mean score of MUSS was significantly different between group A and group B at 12, 24, and 36 months after implantation, whereas no obvious differences were noted pre-surgery, and at 1, 3, 6, 48, and 60 months post-operation. Conclusions Young children with Mondini dysplasia develop their speech skills at a fast rate and achieve similar speech acquisition compared to age-matched children with radiologically normal inner ears 5 years post-operation. Therefore, CI is an effective intervention method for young children with Mondini dysplasia.

BackgroundPatients with severe profound hearing loss could benefit from cochlear implantation (CI). However, the neural mechanism of such benefit is still unclear. Therefore, we analyzed the electroencephalogram (EEG) and behavioral indicators of auditory function remodeling in patients with CI. Both indicators were sampled at multiple time points after implantation (1, 90, and 180 days).MethodsFirst, the speech perception ability was evaluated with the recording of a list of Chinese words and sentences in 15 healthy controls (HC group) and 10 patients with CI (CI group). EEG data were collected using an oddball paradigm. Then, the characteristics of event-related potentials (ERPs) and mismatch negative (MMN) were compared between the CI group and the HC group. In addition, we analyzed the phase lag indices (PLI) in the CI group and the HC group and calculated the difference in functional connectivity between the two groups at different stages after implantation.ResultsThe behavioral indicator, speech recognition ability, in CI patients improved as the implantation time increased. The MMN analysis showed that CI patients could recognize the difference between standard and deviation stimuli just like the HCs 90 days after cochlear implantation. Comparing the latencies of N1/P2/MMN between the CI group and the HC group, we found that the latency of N1/P2 in CI patients was longer, while the latency of MMN in CI users was shorter. In addition, PLI-based whole-brain functional connectivity (PLI-FC) showed that the difference between the CI group and the HC group mainly exists in electrode pairs between the bilateral auditory area and the frontal area. Furthermore, all those differences gradually decreased with the increase in implantation time.ConclusionThe N1 amplitude, N1/P2/MMN latency, and PLI-FC in the alpha band may reflect the process of auditory function remodeling and could be an objective index for the assessment of speech perception ability and the effect of cochlear implantation.

To understand the potential for observing forming planets and their circumplanetary disks (CPDs) with JWST and ELT, we created mock observations from 3D radiative hydrodynamic simulations and radiative transfer post-processing for planets with 10, 5, 1 Jupiter and 1 Saturn masses with orbital separation of 50 and 30 AU in 0$^{\circ}$, 30$^{\circ}$ and 60$^{\circ}$ inclinations. Instrumental effects were then simulated with Mirage for JWST/NIRCam and NIRISS, MIRISim for JWST/MIRI and SimCADO & SimMETIS for ELT/MICADO and METIS. We found that the longer wavelengths (mid-IR and beyond) are the best to detect CPDs. Longer is the wavelength, the smaller mass planet's CPD could be detected. MIRI on JWST and METIS on ELT offers the best possibility on these telescopes. Specifically, below 3 $\mu$m, only 10 $M_{\mathrm{Jup}}$ planets with their CPDs are detectable with NIRCam and MICADO. 5 $M_{\mathrm{Jup}}$ planets are only detectable if at 30 AU (i.e. closer) orbital separation. Planets above 5 $M_{\mathrm{Jup}}$ with their CPDs are detectable between 3-5 $\mu$m with NIRCam and METIS L/M band, or above 10 $\mu$m with MIRI and METIS N band. For $\leq$ 1 $M_{\mathrm{Jup}}$ planets > 15 $\mu$m are needed, where MIRI uniquely offers imaging capability. We present magnitudes and spectral energy distributions for separate components of the planet+CPD+CSD system, to differentiate the extinction rates of CPDs and CSDs and to provide predictions for observational proposals. Because the CPD turns out to be the main absorber of the planet's emission, especially, Comment: 24 pages, 24 figures, 5 tables. Accepted in MNRAS

We use the quantum version of Chebyshev polynomials to explicitly construct the recursive formulas for the Kronecker quantum cluster algebra with principal coefficients. As a byproduct, we obtain two bar-invariant positive $\mathbb{ZP}$-bases with one being the atomic basis., Comment: corrected typos, to appear in Science China Mathematics

Background: It is beneficial for CI patients listen to music. However it is necessary to take steps to improve the musicality of CI patients.Objectives: The aims of the study were to evaluate the p...

Oncolytic viruses are emerging as important tools for immunotherapy for cancer treatment; however, most of the clinically tested oncolytic candidates are still administered by intratumoral injection, and new viruses capable of intravenous injection are urgently needed. The M1 virus is a positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus that belongs to the alphavirus family, and it was identified as an oncolytic virus that can selectively replicate in and kill tumor cells after intravenous injection. To further develop M1 for clinical research through intravenous injection, we systematically investigated the biodistribution characteristics of the M1 virus in normal rats, cynomolgus monkeys, and tumor-bearing immunocompromised mice. The data showed that the M1 virus was eliminated gradually from normal tissue but replicated and increased rapidly in tumor tissue. More importantly, the virus also infiltrated the blood-brain barrier and specifically replicated in and killed malignant glioma in immunocompetent mice. Our data proved the tumor selectivity and safety of the M1 virus, supporting its further clinical development.

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of NLFC fitting in hearing aids and auditory acclimatisation on speech perception and sound-quality rating in hearing-impaired...

We develop and prove the analogs of some results shown in [Berenstein A., Fomin S., Zelevinsky A., Duke Math. J. 126 (2005), 1-52] concerning lower and upper bounds of cluster algebras to the generalized cluster algebras of geometric type. We show that lower bounds coincide with upper bounds under the conditions of acyclicity and coprimality. Consequently, we obtain the standard monomial bases of these generalized cluster algebras. Moreover, in the appendix, we prove that an acyclic generalized cluster algebra is equal to the corresponding generalized upper cluster algebra without the assumption of the existence of coprimality.

Clonorchiasis, caused by chronic infection with Clonorchis sinensis (C. sinensis), is an important food-borne parasitic disease that seriously afflicts more than 35 million people globally, resulting in a socioeconomic burden in endemic regions. C. sinensis adults long-term inhabit the microaerobic and limited-glucose environment of the bile ducts. Energy metabolism plays a key role in facilitating the adaptation of adult flukes to crowded habitat and hostile environment. To understand energy source for adult flukes, we compared the component and content of free amino acids between C. sinensis-infected and uninfected bile. The results showed that the concentrations of free amino acids, including aspartic acid, serine, glycine, alanine, histidine, asparagine, threonine, lysine, hydroxylysine, and urea, were significantly higher in C. sinensis-infected bile than those in uninfected bile. Furthermore, exogenous amino acids could be utilized by adult flukes via the gluconeogenesis pathway regardless of the absence or presence of exogenous glucose, and the rate-limiting enzymes, such as C. sinensis glucose-6-phosphatase, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, and pyruvate carboxylase, exhibited high expression levels by quantitative real-time PCR analysis. Interestingly, no matter whether exogenous glucose was present, inhibition of gluconeogenesis reduced the glucose and glycogen levels as well as the viability and survival time of adult flukes. These results suggest that gluconeogenesis might play a vital role in energy metabolism of C. sinensis and exogenous amino acids probably serve as an important energy source that benefits the continued survival of adult flukes in the host. Our study will be a cornerstone for illuminating the biological characteristics of C. sinensis and the host-parasite interactions., Author summary Clonorchiasis, closely related to cholangiocarcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma, has led to a negative socioeconomic impact in global areas especially some Asian endemic regions. Owing to the emergence of drug resistance and hypersensitivity reactions after the massive and repeated use of praziquantel as well as the lack of effective vaccines, searching for new strategies that prevent and treat clonorchiasis has become an urgent matter. Clonorchis sinensis, the causative agent of clonorchiasis, long-term inhabits the microaerobic and limited-glucose environment of the bile ducts. Adequate nutrients are essential for adult flukes to resist the adverse condition and survive in the crowed habitat. Studies on energy metabolism of adult flukes are beneficial for further exploring host-parasite interactions and developing novel anti-parasitic drugs. Our results suggest that gluconeogenesis probably plays a vital role in energy metabolism of Clonorchis sinensis and exogenous amino acids might be an essential energy source for adult flukes to successfully survive in the host. Our foundational study opens a new avenue for explaining energy metabolism of Clonorchis sinensis and provides a valuable strategy that the gluconeogenesis pathway will be a potential and novel target for the prevention and treatment of clonorchiasis.

The genus Curcuma is widely recognized for its diversity of medicinal and culinary uses yet metabolomic differences among Curcuma species are largely unknown, due to the lack of broadly targeted analytical studies. Here, Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) analysis was employed to interrogate the metabolomes of five Curcuma species which are commonly used in Chinese herbal medicine (C. aromatica, C. elata, C. longa, C. caesia and C. phaeocaulis). By processing these results through a pathway enrichment analysis, 432 metabolites (some associated with the curcumin pathway) were identified that varied by species. The quantity of curcuminoids in C. longa were found to be higher than that in the other four Curcuma species analyzed in this study. In addition, C. longa was found to have a greater diversity of phenolic acids, amino acid derivatives, and flavonoids associated with the curcumin biosynthesis pathway. However, medicinal compounds such as 6-gingerol were found in lower quantities in C. longa compared to all other species in this study. This study provides new insights into Curcuma phytochemical pathways and allows for the development of functional foods tailored to specific needs from these species.

Objective The aim of this study is to investigate the development of auditory skills in Mandarin-speaking children with normal hearing using CAP-II, and to establish the baseline data for evaluating the auditory performance of children with hearing loss on which designs of appropriate hearing rehabilitation programs can be based. Materials and methods A total of 223 children participated in this study of which 200 children aged from 1 to 60 months were finally included. Their normal hearing was confirmed by examination of hearing history and high-risk registers for hearing loss, as well as by hearing screening. All children were divided into 10 groups with 20 children in each group based on age. The CAP-II scale was administered to evaluate their development of auditory skills. Results The categories of auditory performance scores of children with normal hearing improved with their age, the best-fit regression function for prediction of scores from age was Score = 0.94 × ln(age) + 0.08 × (age) + 1.16 and prediction of age from score was Age = 0.65 × (score)2–0.14 × (score)–0.23. The overall CAP-II scale exhibited good reliability and validity. Conclusions and Significance: An improvement in auditory skill with age in children with normal hearing was observed. Ceiling performance in auditory skills was found at the age of 51 months for normal children. A conversion table between age and scores obtained from the data of this study can be used as a reference for the assessment of clinical hearing ability in children.

We define a quantum analog of a class of generalized cluster algebras which can be viewed as a generalization of quantum cluster algebras defined in Berenstein and Zelevinsky (Adv. Math. 195(2), 405–455 2005). In the case of rank two, we extend some structural results from the classical theory of generalized cluster algebras obtained in Chekhov and Shapiro (Int. Math. Res. Notices 10, 2746–2772 2014) and Rupel (2013) to the quantum case.

We try to explore the value of aberrant DNA methylation of several cancer-related genes in plasma as non-invasive biomarkers for gastric cancer (GC) and precancerous lesions. By using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction assay we determined the methylation status of three selected genes ZIC1, HOXD10 and RUNX3 in blood samples from patients with GC and precancerous lesions. We discovered that the methylation rate of ZIC1, HOXD10 and RUNX3 increased significantly in the progression of gastric carcinogenesis. Methylation of ZIC1 was associated with positive serum CA19-9, while that of HOXD10 was related to H. pylori status, serum CA19-9 and CEA levels and tumor invasion depth. The Odds ratios (ORs) of ZIC1, HOXD10 and RUNX3 methylation for predicting GC were 4.285 (95%CI: 2.435-7.542), 3.133 (95%CI: 1.700-5.775) and 2.674 (95%CI: 1.441-4.960), while for predicting “gastric cancer and intraepithelial neoplasia” (GnI), the ORs were 12.011 (95%CI: 0.050-28.564), 9.174 (95%CI: 3.220-26.135) and 12.794 (95%CI: 4.115-39.778), respectively. In terms of combined detection of these three genes, the sensitivity was 91.6% for GC and 89.8% for GnI, with the highest Youden index in both GC and GnI determination. Conclusively, combined detection of ZIC1, HOXD10 and RUNX3 promoter hypermethylation might be a promising strategy for early detection of GC and precancerous lesions.